FLAXEN FIBKE —YvOYEN FABRICS.
[Class XIY.
O i 0
of the Juries. As a general rule, we have endeavouredto abstain from mentioning any person more than once in ;the Report; but there are a few cases where such persons jdeserve special mention in more than one of the subdivi-sions or minor sections. Some of their productions mightbe overlooked if all were mentioned together, and there-fore we have occasionally noticed such cases twice.
We shall now proceed to detail the results of our ex-amination.
I. Flaxen Fibre.
In the specimens of prepared flaxen fibre the Jury didnot observe anything worthy of very particular comment,or any feature exhibiting a decided improvement in themanagement of flax for manufacturing purposes. Honour-able Mention, however, is made of two Exhibitors:—
Des.wedt and Co., Zele, East Flanders , Belgium (104,Belgium , p. 1154); and Louis Dumortier, of Bousbecque,near Lille Nord, France (177, France , p. 1182).
There are other samples of Flemish flax which aremeritorious on account of their extreme fineness.
The Jury regret that the specimens of good flax fromIreland are so few in number. Those exhibited byMessrs. Bernard and Co. of Belfast , and rated onSchenek’s patent hot-water steeping process in sixty hours,are the best samples ; and those by Gailey, of Coleraine ,rated on the old cold-water principle, are good specimens ofthe material prepared in that way. Both are worthy ofcommendation, and the Jury make Honourable Mentionof them. [See “Royal Belfast Flax Improvement Society:”106, p. 203.*]
The particular attention of the Jury was directed tothe specimens of English flax, as illustrating the successfulgrowth of that useful and valuable plant by some of theagriculturists of this country.
The samples exhibited by Messrs. Hives and Atkinson,of Leeds (45, Class IV. p. 198*), and grown by Mr.Warnes, of Trimingham, Norfolk , possess a large propor-tion of the necessary qualities of perfect flax, and areequal, in point of quality and strength, to any the Jurymet with of similar fineness. The dressed line, with theyarns from it, are excellent, and run up to a tolerabledegree of fineness.
The specimens exhibited by Messrs. Cator, Nelson,and Co., of Selby (46, Class IV., p. 19S*), are also verygood, the flaxen fibre being evidently well rated, scutched,and put out of hand. The quality is sound, tough, andgood. Great credit is due to both these firms for thepains they have taken to bring forward such meritoriousspecimens of English -grown flax.
The Jury have also to notice that an excellent assort-ment of prepared flax, of various qualities, has been-sentfrom Russia ; but in comparing these with other specimens,the Jury did not observe anything worthy of specialremark.
Before quitting the department of flaxen fibre, theJury desire to report that as it was questionable whetherthe preparation of flax by the method of M. Claussen(Cl. IV., p. 202*-3*) should properly come under theircognizance, they have not pronounced any judgment onthe merits of this novelty. After being disengaged fromthe flax straw, it may be said to become by M. Claussen’sprocess “ cotton,” in all its essential qualities, and isiutended to be manufactured by cotton machinery, andto compete with that material. The Jury, therefore, donot feel competent to venture an opinion as to its practicalutility an,d value.
Among the specimens shown of the different stages ofpreparation, dressing, and manufacture ot “ China grass,”the Jury cousider the series exhibited by Messrs. Mar-shall and Co., of Leeds (Class IV., p. 199*), the mostsuitable for manufacturing purposes. This house isdeserving of great commendation, for the trouble andexpense it has incurred in testing the utility of thismaterial.
In mill-spun yarns tnere appears to be little competition.The yarns exhibited by Messrs. Hives and Atkinson, of
Leeds, and spun from the flax grown by Mr. Warnes (idsupra), as already noticed, are superior in quality and spin-ning, without reference to price. They consist of from 40to 200 leas line, and are, in all respects, good in quality,fully confirming the opinion already expressed of thisflax.
Ireland produces a great quantity of flax yarns, but isnot adequately represented in this department. Thereare a few specimens from Scotland , of fair quality.
In the exhibition of hand-spun yams there is a greatamount of excellence displayed in the various specimens,more particularly in those from Belgium . The samplesshown by Messrs. Bertiielot and Bonte, of Cambrai (p. 1158), are surprisingly fine, perfect, and beautiful,being up to 1200’s warp and IGOU's weft yarn, and arecertainly equal, if not superior, to anything of the kindhitherto produced. The specimens from Ireland are alsovery creditable; that spun by Jane Magill, 84 Y ears ofage, being the finest (760 leas), and that by Ann Harvey(about 600 leas), being the most perfect in quality andspinning (No. 106, p. 203* Class IV.) The Jury recom-mend the award of money premiums to these individuals,as, from their lowly condition, this will be the best andmost useful recognition of their skill.
The yams from the Heepen Spinning-school, Biele feld (546, Zollverein , p. 1081), are also very excellent,considering the youth of the spinners. One sample pro-duced by a little girl of 10 years old, is very fine, andexceedingly well spun out of a weak material. Anothersample, by a child 8 years of age, is very good, but notquite so perfect. The Jury consider the former of thesea proper subject for pecuniary reward, and have recom-mended that, and the two previously-noted cases, for thisdistinction.
Linen Lacing Threads.
In the samples of linen threads, there is such variedand general merit, that the Jury found it exceedinglydifficult to draw any marked distinction as regards superi-ority. Those exhibited by Messrs. Marshall and Co.,of Leeds, (No. 2G, p. 511) are found to be the mostperfect as regards evenness of spinning, particularly inthe fine numbers; and the Jury desire to state that thePrize Medal already awarded to this house for examplesof China grass, is intended also to mark the high merit ofthe threads exhibited, which would certainly have re-ceived a Prize Medal, if the award had not been alreadymade on another ground.
In shoe threads, those exhibited by Messrs. W. B.Holds worth and Co., Leeds (53, p. 512), are the best;and the samples shown by Messrs. Finlayson, Bouse-field, and Co., Glasgow (48, p. 512), and Messrs. Tit-ley, Tatiiam, and Walker, Leeds (51, p. 512), are ofgood quality. The two former firms having been awardedMedals on other grounds, it is sufficient to record thisopinion of the shoe threads.
Cordage, $c.
The Jury found the collection of ropes for marine andother purposes, with cord, twine, See., very limited inextent; and from the few goods exhibited it is impossibleto have a precise idea of the progress made of late yearsin these manufactures. They found but one exhibitorworthy of the honour of a Medal.
II. Woven Fabrics.
In the second department of fiaxen products, namely“woven fabrics” of all kinds, the following countrieshave contributed: — England, Scotland , and Ireland ,France , Belgium , Russia , North Germany, Spain , Por tugal , China , and Egypt .
From the British dominions there is about one-half thenumber of the entire exhibitors and goods.
(a) Canvas, Sailcloth, Sacking, Carpeting,
Some goods have been exhibited by several manufac-turers in conjunction, from the town of Bridport, and thedistrict of Crewkerne, Somersetshire (the latter generallystyled Coker canvas), all of excellent quality. The Jurybeing of opinion, in such cases, that Medals could not he